Actuator levers, collets, and collet removers

ABSTRACT

Actuator levers, collets and collet tools for use in process control devices are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an actuator lever, a collet coupled to the actuator lever, and a collet tool. In the example apparatus, the collet tool is removably coupled to at least one of the lever or the collet, and the collet tool applies a force to at least one of the actuator lever, the collet, a valve shaft, or an intervening structure to couple or decouple the collet to or from the lever.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to process control devices and,more particularly, to actuator levers, collets and collet removers foruse with process control devices.

BACKGROUND

Fluid process systems typically use valves such as, for example, rotaryvalves to control temperature, pressure, and other parameters associatedwith a fluid control process. Rotary valves typically have a valve stemor shaft that is mechanically coupled to an actuator. In operation, theactuator may rotate the valve shaft to cause a control element (e.g., adisc) to move between an open position that permits the passage of fluidthrough the valve and a closed position that substantially prevents thepassage of fluid through the valve. Rotary valves are typicallyinstalled in-line with a pipe so that as the control element (e.g., adisc) moves (i.e., opens/closes), the flow of fluid through the valveand, thus, through the pipe may be varied (e.g., in a throttling controloperation or an on/off operation).

As is known, actuators are typically coupled to a shaft of a valve tooperate the valve between an open position and a closed position and maybe implemented using electric, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic device(s). Tofacilitate the compatibility of process control valves with a variety ofactuators, many available process control valves have shafts that arecompliant with well-known standards. For example, the InternationalStandards Organization (ISO) has developed a standard for square shaftsthat specifies shaft size, shaft dimensions, and shaft extension.Adherence to the ISO standard ensures that actuators and valves made bymultiple manufacturers can be interchangeably coupled to each otherwithout requiring modification of the actuators or valves. Inparticular, the valve shaft specification or ISO standard isparticularly advantageous when purchasing off-the-shelf actuators.

Many off-the-shelf actuators provide shaft receptacles having a squarebore that comply with the ISO standard. The square bore is typicallymanufactured using a broaching technique in which a thick saw-likecutting tool having a plurality of teeth is driven through a solid shaftor receptacle. In this manner, material is removed in a precise mannerto form a bore dimensioned to receive a square valve shaft. However,broaching is an undesirable technique due to the precision or tolerancesrequired to provide properly dimensioned bores (i.e., bores that are nottoo large or too small). In many instances, to ensure that thedimensions of the shaft receptacle are compliant with the ISO standard,the inner dimensions of the shaft receptacle are made substantiallylarger than the outer dimensions of a valve shaft.

For most on/off applications, the inner dimensions of the shaftreceptacle may be significantly larger than the outer dimensions of thevalve shaft without compromising operation. However, for throttlingapplications, in which the position of a control element (e.g., a disc)is varied (e.g., modulated about a control point) between a fully closedand a fully open position, oversized shaft receptacles are not suitable.An oversized shaft receptacle typically results in a loose mechanicalcoupling and, thus, lost motion between the shaft receptacle and theshaft of the process control device.

Lost motion may be generally defined as the difference in angularrotation between a shaft receptacle and a shaft and is typically aresult of a loose coupling between the shaft receptacle and the shaft.For example, if a loose coupling is made between a shaft receptacle anda substantially square shaft, the angular rotation of the shaftreceptacle may be different from the rotational displacement of theshaft.

In general, lost motion may lead to inaccurate positioning of the valvedisc and poor control over the fluid flowing through the valve. Lostmotion may be reduced by placing a collet in a lever in a valve assemblyactuator. The collet couples the valve shaft to the lever, which isrotated by the actuator to open and close the valve. Collets provide asubstantially tight coupling between the lever and the valve shaftwithout requiring the use of wedges, shaft keys, or the like.

When a valve assembly is disassembled, for example during an outage orfor routine maintenance, the valve shaft must be removed from theactuator. Removing the valve shaft from the actuator may be accomplishedby decoupling the collet from the lever. Typically, collets are removedwith the use of blunt force such as, for example, by hitting theactuator with a hammer until the collet is unseated or loosened from thelever. This is undesirable as it requires a lot of effort (especiallyfor large shaft sizes), and hammering on the end of the collet or valveshaft has the potential to cause internal damage to the valve assembly.

SUMMARY

Example apparatus including actuator levers, collets and collet toolsdisclosed herein may be used with a process control device. In oneexample apparatus, an actuator lever is coupled to the collet. Theexample apparatus also includes a collet tool that is removably coupledto at least one of the actuator lever or the collet. Furthermore, thecollet tool applies a force to at least one of the actuator lever, thecollet, a valve shaft, or an intervening structure that may located inthe lever. The force applied by the collet tool decouples the colletfrom the actuator lever.

In accordance with another example, a tool for installing or removing acollet from an actuator lever includes at least one of a plurality ofinner-diameter threads, a plurality of outer-diameter threads, or aplate to removably couple the tool to at least one of an actuator leveror a collet. The tool is configured to apply a force to at least one ofthe actuator lever, the collet, a valve shaft, or an interveningstructure to install the collet in or remove the collet from theactuator lever.

In accordance with yet another example, a means for installing a colletin or removing a collet from a lever in a process control deviceincludes means for removably coupling a collet tool to at least one ofthe lever or the collet. The means for installing the collet in orremoving the collet from the lever also includes means for applying aforce through the collet tool to at least one of the lever, the collet,a valve shaft or an intervening structure to install the collet in orremove the collet from the lever.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an example valve assembly.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are isometric views of the actuator of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are isometric views of the lever and the example colletof FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an example actuator lever with anexample collet and an example collet tool.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative example actuatorlever, collet and collet tool.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another alternative example actuatorlever, collet valve shaft remover.

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of yet another alternativeexample actuator lever and collet with an example adjustable coupling.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of still another alternativeexample actuator lever and collet with an alternative example adjustablecoupling.

FIG. 9 shows the actuator lever and collet of FIG. 8 with an examplecollet tool positioned for assembly.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the example collet tool of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows the actuator lever, collet and collet tool of FIG. 9, withthe collet tool rotated 180° and positioned for disassembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts an example valve assembly 100. The example valve assembly100 may be used in a process control system to control, for example,temperature, pressure, or flow rate. The example valve assembly 100 maybe used to open a fluid path, close a fluid path, and/or vary the sizeof (i.e., throttle) an opening in a fluid path. For example, as a fluidflows through a fluid path including the example valve assembly 100,varying the size of an opening in the example valve assembly 100 causesthe flow rate of the fluid in the fluid path to be reduced or increasedbased on the degree to which the valve assembly 100 is opened or closed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the example valve assembly 100 includes a valve 102,an actuator 104, and a lever 106. The lever 106 is mechanically coupledto the actuator 104 as described below in connection with FIGS. 2Bthrough 3B. The actuator 104 is configured to actuate (i.e., rotate,turn, etc.) the lever 106 about its axis to open/close the valve 102.The valve 102 includes a valve body 108, a control element 110 (e.g., adisc) positioned within an inner surface or chamber 112 of the valvebody 108, and a valve shaft 114 mechanically coupled to the controlelement 110 as shown by hidden lines. The valve shaft 114 is shown as asubstantially square shaft and may be designed to conform to an ISOstandard for square shafts. However, the valve shaft 114 may beimplemented using any other shape (e.g., any polygonal shape) and size.For example, one of ordinary skill in the art should appreciate that theshaft may be substantially circular in cross-sectional except for an endportion that may be polygonal or substantially square to engage an ISOstandard actuator. Additionally, one skilled in the art may alsocontemplate the example collet, lever and collet tool being used with aknown keyed shaft without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

In a closed position, the control element 110 may be in a seatedposition in which a sealing surface 116 of the control element 110 is incontact with the inner surface 112 of the valve body 108, therebypreventing the flow of fluid through the valve body 108. Moving thecontrol element 110 to a fully open position may involve rotating thevalve shaft 114 so that the control element 110 is in a substantiallyperpendicular orientation relative to the opening defined by the innersurface 112. Throttling the control element 110 may involve adjustingand controlling the position of the control element 110 between a fullyopen position and a fully closed position to achieve a desired processfluid flow or pressure reduction. In addition, throttling the controlelement 110 may be performed in connection with a feedback system thatis configured to continually measure the flow and/or pressure of aprocess fluid. The feedback system may then cause, for example, theactuator 104 to at least partially actuate the lever 106 in response tochanges in the flow and/or pressure of the process fluid. In this case,minimizing or reducing lost motion between the lever 106 and the valveshaft 114 is crucial to achieving precise positioning of the controlelement 110.

As shown in FIG. 1, the actuator 104 is mechanically coupled to thevalve 102 via a mounting bracket 118. The actuator 104 may include anypowered or non-powered actuating device that is capable of rotating thevalve shaft 114. As is known, actuators are typically implemented usingelectric, pneumatic, and/or hydraulic device(s). Alternatively, theactuator 104 may be implemented using any non-powered actuating devicesuch as, for example, a hand operated device, etc.

The lever 106 includes a first coupling 120 and a second coupling 122.Although the first coupling 120 is shown as being mechanically coupledto the valve shaft 114, the second coupling 122 may also be configuredto be mechanically coupled to the valve shaft 114 as described below.The lever 106 may impart a rotational force to the valve shaft 114 viathe first coupling 120 and/or the second coupling 122. For example, asthe lever 106 rotates, the first coupling 120 rotates the valve shaft114 to cause the control element 110 to move between an open positionand a closed position.

The lever 106 engages a washer 124 that is captured between the lever106 and a draw nut 126. As described in connection with FIGS. 3A and 3Bbelow, the washer 124 and the draw nut 126 enable the first coupling 120and/or the second coupling 122 to engage (e.g., to be clamped to) thevalve shaft 114. Additionally, the couplings 120 and 122 are configuredto be substantially similar or identical so that the actuator 104 may beturned 180° to change a fail-safe operation of the valve 102 asdescribed below in connection with FIGS. 2A and 2B.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are isometric views of the actuator 104 of FIG. 1. FIGS.2A and 2B generally depict the manner in which the lever 106 of FIG. 1is rotatably coupled to the actuator 104. As described above inconnection with FIG. 1, the actuator 104 may be mechanically coupled toa shaft (e.g., the valve shaft 114 of FIG. 1) to rotate the shaft.Although the actuator 104 is shown as a spring and diaphragm actuator,any other suitable actuating device may be used. The actuator 104 alsoincludes a first faceplate 204, which is shown as a front side of theactuator 104, and a second faceplate (not shown) on the side oppositethe first faceplate 204 (i.e., a back side of the actuator 104). Thefirst faceplate 204 and the second faceplate are substantially similaror identical, which enables a field configurable fail-safe operation ofthe actuator 104 as described below.

The lever 106 is mechanically coupled to or otherwise engages an examplecollet 202 that is configured to apply a clamping force to, for example,the valve shaft 114 (FIG. 1). The lever 106 and the example collet 202may form the first coupling 120 (FIG. 1) and/or the second coupling 122(FIG. 1) as described below in connection with FIGS. 3A and 3B.Additionally, the lever 106 is shown as extending through the firstfaceplate 204. In a similar manner, the lever 106 extends through thesecond faceplate and is hidden from view in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The fail-safe operation of the actuator 104 is field configurable. Thefail-safe operation defines whether the valve 102 (FIG. 1) is configuredto open or close when power (e.g., electric power, pneumatic power,hydraulic power, etc.) is interrupted. For example, mechanicallycoupling the first coupling 120 to the valve shaft 114 may provide afail-safe open configuration. On the other hand, physically turning theactuator 104 as indicated by arrow 206 and mechanically coupling thesecond coupling 122 to the valve shaft 114 may provide a fail-safeclosed configuration.

As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the first faceplate 204 includes aplurality of mounting holes 208 that may be used to mechanically couplethe actuator 104 to, for example, the valve 102 (FIG. 1) via themounting bracket 118 (FIG. 1). In FIG. 2B, the first faceplate 204 isremoved from the actuator 104 to expose the lever 106 and the examplecollet 202. The assembly of the lever 106 and the example collet 202 isdescribed in greater detail below. The lever 106 is mechanically coupledto an actuating element 210, which may be reciprocated or stroked by theactuator 104 and configured to turn or rotate the lever 106 toopen/close the valve 102.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are more detailed isometric views of the lever 106 andthe example collet 202 of FIGS. 2A and 2B. In particular, FIG. 3A showsthe lever 106 and the example collet 202 in an assembled configurationand FIG. 3B is an exploded isometric view of the lever 106 and thecollet 202. In an assembled configuration, the lever 106 and the examplecollet 202 form a coupling such as, for example, the couplings 120and/or 122 of FIG. 1. The example collet 202 is shown as having a squarebore 302, which is depicted in an engaged or clamped configuration inFIG. 3A and an open configuration in FIG. 3B. The lever 106 and theexample collet 202 may be manufactured using any material suitable forengaging and rotating (i.e., actuating) a valve shaft such as, forexample, the valve shaft 114 of FIG. 1. Additionally, the lever 106 andthe example collet 202 may be manufactured using any suitablemanufacturing technique such as, for example, die casting, forging, etc.

The square bore 302 may be configured to receive and engage or clamprectangular or square shafts such as, for example, the valve shaft 114of FIG. 1. Additionally, the square bore 302 may be configured to engagesquare shafts that comply with an ISO standard for square shafts.However, the square bore 302 may be implemented using any desired shapeand size and may be configured to engage any shaft having asubstantially similar shape and size. In general, the shape and size ofthe bore 302 may be configured to be substantially complementary to theshape and size of a corresponding shaft. For example, if the lever 106and the example collet 202 are used to implement the couplings 120 and122 of FIG. 1, the dimensions of the bore 302 may be substantiallysimilar or identical to the dimensions of the valve shaft 114.

As shown in FIG. 3B, a first end of the lever 106 forms the firstcoupling 120 and provides a first sleeve 304 that is configured toreceive and engage the example collet 202. In a similar manner, a secondend of the lever 106 forms the second coupling 122 and provides a secondsleeve 306 through which the example collet 202 may be inserted. Theexample collet 202 may be drawn into the lever 106 so that the firstsleeve or the second sleeve engages the example collet 202. As describedin greater detail below, as the example collet 202 is engaged by one ofthe sleeves 304 and 306, the dimensions of the bore 302 are reduced,which causes the example collet 202 to engage and apply a clamping forceto, for example, the valve shaft 114.

The example collet 202 may be drawn within the lever 106 using a drawingor pulling technique. For example, the lever 106 may include a passage(not shown) extending therethrough and the example collet 202 mayinclude an elongated member 308 that may be placed within the passage.The elongated member 308 may have a threaded portion 310 that may extendthrough the lever 106 and the washer 124 to threadingly engage the drawnut 126. Tightening the draw nut 126 pulls the example collet 202 intothe coupling 120, which causes the dimensions of the square bore 302 todecrease. In this manner, the example collet 202 may directly engage,for example, the valve shaft 114, thus reducing and/or eliminating thegap between the surfaces of the square bore 302 and the surfaces of thevalve shaft 114. In an alternative configuration, such as the examplesdiscussed below, the elongated member 308 may include inner threads anda draw bolt (instead of the draw nut 126) that may engage the innerthreads to draw the example collet 202 into the lever 106. As discussedbelow, a draw bolt may be combined in a single structure with a collettool, and the term “collet tool” may refer to both a draw bolt or colletinstaller (which couples a collet to a lever) and a collet remover(which decouples a collet from a lever).

Lost rotational motion (i.e., lost motion) between the lever 106 and thevalve shaft 114 are substantially reduced or eliminated by eliminatinggaps between the surfaces of the square bore 302 and the valve shaft 114via the example collet 202. In addition, the example collets describedherein (e.g., the example collet 202) may facilitate the coupling andde-coupling of actuators (e.g., the actuator 104) and shafts (e.g., thevalve shaft 114) for purposes of, for example, installation processes,repair processes, etc.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of the collet 202 inserted into thelever 106 with a collet tool 402 attached thereto. As shown in FIG. 4,the collet tool 402 may be used to remove the collet 202 from the lever106 without damaging the collet 202, the lever 106 or any othercomponent of the valve assembly 100. The collet tool 402 includes aplate 404 that is placed against the back portion or end 405 of thecollet 202. The plate 404 has a first borehole 406 and a second borehole408 through which a first stud 410 and a second stud 412 pass,respectively. The first stud 410 is inserted into a third bore hole 414located in the lever 106, and the second stud 412 is inserted into afourth bore hole 416 also located in the lever 106. The opposite ends ofthe first and second studs 410 and 412 are coupled to a first draw nut418 and a second draw nut 420, respectively. The draw nuts 418 and 420are rotated to drive the collet tool 402 against the end 405 of thecollet 202. That is, as the draw nuts 418 and 420 are rotated intocontact with the drawing plate 404, the drawing the plate 404 movescloser to the lever 106. As the plate 404 approaches the lever 106, theplate 404 pushes on the end 405 of the collet 202, overcomes thefriction between the collet 202 and the lever 106, decouples the collet202 from the lever 106, and forces the collet 202 out of the other endof the lever 106 without damaging any of the components of the valveassembly 100. This example collet tool 402 is mounted during disassembly(i.e., removal of the collet 202) and, thus, functions as a colletremover.

An alternative example collet tool 502 is shown in FIG. 5. The collettool 502 may be a substantially u-shaped component that includes a firstleg 504, a second leg 506 and a back piece 508. Alternatively, the firstleg 504 and the second leg 506 may be integral such that the collet tool502 is a hollowed cylindrical structure opened at one end. At least aportion of the collet tool 502 has inner-diameter threads 510. In theillustrated example, the inner-diameter threads 510 are located at theends of the first and second legs 504 and 506. The lever 106 furtherincludes outer-diameter threads 512 on at least a portion of the lever106. The outer-diameter threads 512 complement or are configured tothreadably couple to the inner-diameter threads 510 of the collet tool502. To remove the collet 202 from the lever 106, the collet tool 502 ismounted to the back of the lever 106 so that the inner-diameter threads510 of the collet tool 502 engage the outer-diameter threads 512 of thelever 106. The collet tool 502 is then rotated causing the threads 510and 512 to engage further and draw the collet tool 502 toward the backof the lever 106. As the collet tool 502 is rotated, the back piece 508of the collet tool 502 contacts the collet 202, overcomes the frictionbetween the collet 202 and the lever 106, decouples the collet 202 fromthe lever 106, and forces the collet 202 out of the other end of thelever 106 without damaging any of the components of the valve assembly100. The example collet tool 502 may be mounted or used duringdisassembly (i.e., removal of the collet 202).

FIG. 6 illustrates another alternative example collet tool 600. In thisexample, the collet 202 includes outer-diameter threads 602 andinner-diameter threads 604. The inner-diameter threads 604 of the collet202 complement outer-diameter threads 606 of a valve shaft remover 608.To remove a valve shaft (not shown), the valve shaft remover 608 isinserted (e.g., threaded) into the collet 202 so the outer-diameterthreads 606 of the valve shaft remover 608 engage the inner-diameterthreads 604 of the collet 202. The valve shaft remover 608 is thenrotated so that the valve shaft remover 608 is driven further into thecollet 202. After sufficient rotation of the valve shaft remover 608, anend 610 of the valve shaft remover 608 contacts the valve shaft. As thevalve shaft remover 608 is further rotated and driven further into thecollet 202, the valve shaft is forced out of the collet 202.

Removing the valve shaft from the collet 202 eliminates or relieveswedging forces the valve shaft exerts via the collet 202 against thelever 106. In the absence of wedging forces, the collet 202 may beremoved from the lever 106 via manual manipulation of the collet 202,interaction of a tool (e.g., a wrench or pliers) with the outer-diameterthreads 602 of the collet 202, via the force of gravity, etc. In thismanner, the valve shaft remover 608 also functions as a collet tool orremover. However, whereas the other collet tools 402 and 502 describedabove impart a force on the lever to decouple the collet 202, the valveshaft remover 608 imparts a force on the valve shaft to enable removalof the collet 202.

The illustrated example shows the valve shaft remover 608 as a bolt.However, any type of fastening device such as, for example, a screw, maybe used instead. In addition, in the illustrated example, the valveshaft remover 608 is fully removable and may be mounted or used asneeded (e.g., during disassembly).

FIG. 7 illustrates yet another alternative collet tool 700. Theapparatus shown in FIG. 7 includes an intervening structure oradjustable coupler such as, for example, an adjustable threaded couplingor coupler 702 that may be permanently located in the interior of thelever 106 and which is freely rotatable relative to the lever 106. Theadjustable coupling 702 is retained in the lever 106 and is kept fromtranslating along the center axis, or a longitudinal axis of the lever106 by fasteners such as, for example, snap rings (not shown) or similardevices. The adjustable coupling 702 has two chambers, or a first borehole 704 and a second bore hole 706. The first bore hole 704 hasinner-diameter threads 708 that complement outer-diameter threads 710 onthe elongated portion 308 of the collet 202. The second bore hole 706also has inner-diameter threads 712. The adjustable coupling 702 furtherincludes a center portion 714 having a cross-bore 716. In theillustrated example, the cross-bore 716 has a square cross section.However, any other polygonal shape could be used instead.

To draw the collet 202 inward and couple the collet 202 to the lever106, a rod or shaft or other form of a collet tool (not shown) may beinserted into the end of the lever 106 opposite the collet 202. Thecollet tool may have a square end that is inserted into and whichengages the cross-bore 716. The collet tool may then be rotatedclockwise which, in turn, rotates the adjustable coupling 702 clockwise.Clockwise rotation of the adjustable coupling 702 causes theouter-diameter threads 710 of the collet 202 to engage theinner-diameter threads 708 of the first bore 704 of the adjustablecoupling 702, which draws the collet 202 further into the lever 106 andcouples the collet 202 and the lever 106. Alternatively, a portion ofthe collet tool may have outer-diameter threads that engage theinner-diameter threads 712 of the second bore hole 706. In this case,when the outer-diameter threads of the collet tool and theinner-diameter threads 712 of the adjustable coupling 702 are engaged,continual clockwise rotation of the collet tool rotates the adjustablecoupling 702 clockwise and couples the collet 202 and lever 106 asdescribed above.

To remove the collet 202, a collet tool having a square-shaped end maybe inserted into the cross-bore 716 and rotated in a counterclockwisedirection. The counterclockwise rotation of the collet tool rotates theadjustable coupling 702 in a counterclockwise direction, which causesthe inner-diameter threads 708 of the adjustable coupling 702 and theouter-diameter threads 710 of the shaft 308 of the collet 202 todisengage and decouple the collet 202 and the lever 106. In analternative example combination of a lever, collet and collet tool isshown in FIGS. 8-11. The example lever 106 has an intervening structure802. In this example, the intervening structure 802 is a web or plate802 that divides an internal chamber of the lever 106 into a first borehole 804 and second bore hole 806. In this example, the interveningstructure, plate or web 802 may be integral with the lever 106. The web802 has another bore hole or a center bore hole 808 through which theshank or shaft 308 of the collet 202 may pass (FIG. 8).

The collet tool 902 has a first end 904 and a second end 906. The firstend 904 has an opening 908 to a bore hole 910, at least a portion ofwhich includes inner-diameter threads 912. To couple the collet 202 andthe lever 106, the collet 202 is inserted into the first bore hole 804.The first bore hole 804 includes inner-diameter threads 810 that mayengages outer-diameter threads 914 on a portion of the collet tool 902.The shaft 308 of the collet 202 also has outer-diameter threads 812.When the shaft 308 is inserted through the first bore hole 804 and thecenter bore 808, a portion of the shaft 308 enters the second bore hole806. The collet tool 902 is inserted into the second bore hole 806 fromthe opposite end. The collet tool 902 engages the shaft 308 of thecollet 202. The shaft 308 enters the opening 908 and the outer-diameterthreads 812 of the shaft 308 engage the inner-diameter threads 912 ofthe collet tool 902. As the collet tool 902 is rotated, the collet tool902 imparts a force on the center web 802, which is transferred to thecollet 202 and causes the threads 812 and 912 to engage further. Inturn, the collet 202 is pulled further into a tight coupling with thelever 106. The collet tool 902 may be left in the second bore hole 806of the lever 106 during operation of the valve assembly 100.

To remove the collet 202, the collet tool 902 is removed from the secondbore hole 806 of the lever and rotated approximately 180°. The collettool 902 is then re-inserted into the second bore hole 806 second end906 first, as shown in FIG. 11. At least a portion of the externalsurface of the collet tool 902 includes outer-diameter threads 914. Theouter-diameter threads 914 engage inner-diameter threads 814 that arelocated on at least a portion of the surface of the second bore hole 806of the lever 106. As the collet tool 902 is rotated, the threads 914 and814 engage further, and the collet tool 902 moves toward the interior ofthe lever 106. The second end 906 of the collet tool 902 includes asubstantially flat and solid surface 916. As the collet tool 902 movesfurther into the lever 106, the collet tool 902 approaches the end ofthe shaft 308 of the collet 202. Further rotational force that isexerted on the collet tool 902 is transferred into linear force thatacts on the collet 202 and forces the collet 202 out of the second borehole 806. By time the collet remover 902 has been inserted far enoughinto the second bore 806 to reach the web or plate 808, the collet 202has been decoupled or unseated from the lever 106. At this point, enoughof the collet 202 is exposed exterior to the lever 106 to enable manualmanipulation and removal of the valve shaft (not shown) from the collet202 without causing any damage to any components in the valve assembly100. The collet tool 902 may be stored in the second bore 806 untilfurther future use. Storing the collet tool 902 in the lever decreasesthe likelihood that the collet remover 902 will be misplaced or lost andfacilitates rapid conversion from assembly of the combination todisassembly.

Although certain methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture havebeen described herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is notlimited thereto. To the contrary, this patent covers all methods,apparatus, and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scopeof the appended claims either literally or under the doctrine ofequivalents.

1. Apparatus for use with a process control device, the apparatusincluding: an actuator lever; a collet coupled to the actuator lever;and a collet tool removably coupled to at least one of the actuatorlever or the collet, wherein the collet tool is configured to apply aforce to at least one of the actuator lever, the collet, a valve shaft,or an intervening structure to decouple the collet from the actuatorlever.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the actuator leverincludes a first bore hole and a second bore hole and the collet toolcomprises: a plate that includes a third bore hole and a fourth borehole; a first stud to engage the first and third bore holes; and asecond stud to engage the second and fourth bore holes.
 3. Apparatus asdefined in claim 2, wherein the plate causes the collet and the actuatorlever to decouple when the studs are rotated.
 4. Apparatus as defined inclaim 1, wherein at least a portion of the actuator lever includesouter-diameter threads, the collet tool has a unshaped cross section,and a portion of the collet tool includes inner-diameter threads. 5.Apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the inner-diameter threads ofthe collet tool are to engage the outer-diameter threads of the actuatorlever to cause the collet tool to contact the collet to decouple thecollet and the actuator lever.
 6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1,wherein at least a portion of the collet includes outer-diameter threadsand a portion of the collet tool includes inner-diameter threads. 7.Apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the inner-diameter threads ofthe collet tool are to engage the outer-diameter threads of the colletto enable the collet and the actuator lever to decouple.
 8. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein the collet tool comprises a valve shaftremover, and wherein at least a portion of the collet has inner-diameterthreads and at least a portion of the valve shaft remover hasouter-diameter threads.
 9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein theouter-diameter threads of the valve shaft remover are to engage theinner-diameter threads of the collet to cause the valve shaft remover toengage the collet, contact a valve shaft, and drive the valve shaft awayfrom the collet.
 10. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein theintervening structure is disposed in an interior of the actuator leverand includes a first bore hole and a second bore hole, and wherein thefirst and second bore holes have inner-diameter threads and the colletengages the first bore hole and the collet tool engages the second borehole.
 11. Apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the interveningstructure is rotatable relative to the actuator lever and is to berotated to couple or decouple the collet and the actuator lever. 12.Apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the intervening structure isto be rotated by the collet tool.
 13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12,wherein the intervening structure is kept from translating along alongitudinal axis of the actuator lever by spacers.
 14. Apparatus asdefined in claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the actuator leverincludes inner-diameter threads, the intervening structure includes aplate with a bore hole therethrough, at least a portion of the colletincludes outer-diameter threads, a least a portion of the collet toolincludes inner-diameter threads, at least a portion of the collet toolincludes outer-diameter threads, and a portion of the collet is totraverse the bore hole of the intervening structure when the collet iscoupled to the actuator lever.
 15. Apparatus as defined in claim 14,wherein the collet tool is to be oriented in a first position so thatthe outer-diameter threads of the collet tool engage the inner-diameterthreads of the actuator lever and, when the collet tool is rotated, todraw the collet tool into the lever so that the collet tool engages thecollet and decouples the collet and the actuator lever.
 16. Apparatus asdefined in claim 15, wherein the collet tool is oriented in a secondposition so that the inner-diameter threads of the collet tool engagethe outer-diameter threads of the collet and, when the collet tool isrotated, draw the collet into the lever to couple the collet and theactuator lever.
 17. Apparatus as defined in claim 16, wherein the firstposition and the second position are about 180° apart.
 18. Apparatus asdefined in claim 14, wherein the intervening structure is integral withthe actuator lever.
 19. Apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein thecollet tool may be stored in the actuator lever during operation of theprocess control device.
 20. A tool for installing or removing a colletfrom an actuator lever, the tool comprising: a tool body; and at leastone of a plurality of inner-diameter threads, a plurality ofouter-diameter threads, or a plate to removably couple the tool to atleast one of an actuator lever or a collet, wherein the tool isconfigured to apply a force to at least one of the actuator lever, thecollet, a valve shaft, or an intervening structure to install the colletin or remove the collet from the actuator lever.
 21. A tool as definedin claim 20, wherein the tool rotates the intervening structure relativeto the actuator lever to install the collet in or remove the collet fromthe actuator lever.
 22. A tool as defined in claim 20, wherein the toolis to be oriented in a first position so that at least a portion of theplurality of outer-diameter threads of the tool engage a portion of aplurality of inner-diameter threads of the actuator lever and, when thetool is rotated, to draw the tool into the actuator lever so that thetool engages the collet and removes the collet from the actuator lever.23. A tool as defined in claim 22, wherein the tool has at least onesubstantially flat surface.
 24. A tool as defined in claim 22, whereinthe tool is to be oriented in a second position so that at least aportion of the plurality of the inner-diameter threads of the toolengage a portion of a plurality of outer-diameter threads of the colletand, when the tool is rotated, to draw the collet into the actuatorlever to install the collet in the actuator lever.
 25. A tool as definedin claim 24, wherein the first position and the second position areabout 180° apart.
 26. A means for installing a collet in or removing acollet from a lever in a process control device, wherein the means forinstalling or removing comprises means for removably coupling a collettool to at least one of the lever or the collet and means for applying aforce through the collet tool to at least one of the lever, the collet,a valve shaft or an intervening structure to install the collet in orremove the collet from the lever.
 27. A means as defined in claim 26,wherein the force applied to the collet tool is a rotational force. 28.A means as defined in claim 26, wherein the force applied to the collettool is a linear force.
 29. A means as defined in claim 26, wherein themeans for removably coupling the collet tool to the at least one of thelever or the collet includes causing a plate to engage on the collettool to engage the at least one of the lever or the collet.
 30. A meansas defined in claim 26, wherein the means for removably coupling thecollet tool to the at least one of the lever or the collet includesengaging a plurality of inner-diameter threads or outer-diameter threadsof the collet with a plurality of inner-diameter threads orouter-diameter threads of the lever.